


New Year's Resolution

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-11
Updated: 2006-03-11
Packaged: 2019-02-02 12:25:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Daniel resolves to make this New Year special - and not just for himself!





	New Year's Resolution

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Thanks to my Beta, Gateroller!  


* * *

Daniel lay in the bed in Jack's guest bedroom thinking about the man in the next room. It was very early, too early even for Jack to be awake which could only mean that Daniel couldn't sleep, his overactive mind wouldn't let him. For quite a few years he had stayed overnight in this room for various reasons but Daniel wanted to change that. He wanted to stay in Jack's room, in Jack's bed.

It was just past dawn on New Year's Eve and before that day was over Daniel meant to really make this New Year new.

For far too long he had put the concerns of others before himself to his personal cost but no more. This was one time he was going to put his own desires first. 

It had come as a pleasant surprise that this year SG1 was given the whole holiday period of Christmas and New Year off. They usually ended up working most if not all of it; it always seemed to fall that they had a mission around that time and it was the same for this year too. Then, something on one of the scans had proved problematic and the mission had been postponed for seven to ten days while it was checked out and the general had decided they deserved to take advantage of the delay for a well-earned break to enjoy the festive holiday.

For once Daniel hadn't cared what the problem was, never bothered to ask, he was more interested in the hand that fate had chosen to deal him and no way was he going to waste this gift. 

It was quite a gift for the rest of the team too and they quickly tried to make plans.

Sam intended to visit her brother and his family in San Diego but unfortunately she couldn't get a flight at such short notice. Instead, she happily accepted Janet Fraiser's invitation to spend the holidays with her and Cassie.

Then Jack decided to hold a party on Christmas Eve and one again on New Year's Eve, saying this year might be the only chance he ever got! Next he invited Daniel to join him at his house. At first Daniel tried to beg off, not that he wanted to but he thought Jack was probably just being polite in asking him.

"Thanks, Jack but it's not necessary. I would be happy to come to both of your parties but I wouldn't want to impose for the whole week."

"Impose? I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want the company, Daniel," he stepped closer, his voice lowering, "Would you like to spend the holidays with me?"

Suppressing a shiver at the tone of his voice, Daniel smiled and nodding, said, "Yeah, sure. It would be fun."

"Yeah, sure, yabetcha!" Jack grinned. "It'll be good, you'll see. In fact, listen up folks," he said to the others. "Anytime any of you wants to visit and make sure Daniel is having fun, I'm declaring open house!"

"Sure, sir, I'll drag Janet and Cassie over one day so make sure you've got plenty of food and drink in."

"I will be pleased to accept your invitation to attend your house on the Eve of Christmas but then I would like to visit my family," Teal'c said. "Perhaps General Hammond would like to visit and ensure DanielJackson's enjoyment. I will enquire."

Daniel laughed, as much at Jack's fish-out-of-water expression as Teal'c's words.

"Well," Jack said, taking hold of the conversation again, "we'd better go and stock up, Daniel. My cupboard is bare and this lot are a thirsty bunch."

"Oh, so I have to help with the groceries as well now. Your way to make me pay for my keep?"

"Hadn't thought of that! Now I'm gonna have to think of suitable payment and a good way to collect."

Daniel glanced at Jack and was glad that his friend couldn't read his mind as he thought of a perfect way to pay Jack for his hospitality. He dropped his eyes quickly because though Jack couldn't read his mind, Daniel was afraid that he could perhaps read the emotion in his eyes.

The Christmas Eve party had been fun with a large number of personnel from the SGC in attendance, including the general. Everyone was relaxed and determined to have fun and Jack was nothing if not a good host. It was after two in the morning before Jack and Daniel finally got to bed, exhausted from too much to eat and plenty of drink though both men had been careful not to get drunk. 

Good as that had been it didn't compare to Christmas Day, which they spent alone together. They slept late and Jack cooked his idea of a full English breakfast.

"It will keep us going for the rest of the day, We've got a lot of work to do to get our traditional dinner with all the trimmings ready for later," he declared and true to his word they spent a lot of time doing just that, talking and laughing as they worked side by side in the kitchen. 

While the bird was cooking and having prepared all the vegetables, Daniel suggested they go out for a brisk walk. It was very cold outside, having stopped snowing only the night before but the sun was shining weakly and they wrapped up warmly. For a while they just walked in silence, heading for a nearby park. 

"Why the hell are we walking when we are supposed to be enjoying our break?" Jack groused. "We do this every damn day on every mission we go on."

"Well, why didn't you say something! We didn't have to..."

"You seemed to want to..." Jack interrupted.

"Then why grouse now!" Daniel grinned.

Jack shrugged.

"You want to go back?" Daniel queried.

"No, you look cute all wrapped up like that."

"Cute? Did you say cute?" Daniel said with an edge to his voice. Not that he would let the older man know but he found it a turn on that Jack thought he was cute. That Jack thought about him like that at all.

"Well, you know," replied Jack with a grin. "You look like a teddy bear with that collar pulled up and your..."

"A teddy bear, a teddy bear!" Daniel's eyebrows climbed to his hairline.

"Obviously, they chose the right role model for it, you sure resemble a grizzly!" Jack laughed, backing away dramatically. "I know what will make you feel better, let's go back and open the gifts."

"I thought you wanted to wait until this evening," Daniel commented, letting Jack get away with changing the subject. 

Jack shrugged, "Yeah, think maybe I've got some ground to make up."

"You don't need to buy me things, Jack. All I need is your friendship," Daniel answered with a slow smile.

"You always have that but I like giving you stuff. Don't think enough people in your life have showed you how much you're appreciated."

Lying comfortably in his bed, thinking back, Daniel still remembered with a warm glow all the gifts Jack had given him that Christmas Day afternoon. There were quite a few from his other friends too but Jack kept offering him more and more parcels. He laughed as he opened the silly ones and grinned at the more practical stuff but when Jack finally gave him his special gift Daniel was almost speechless. 

Almost six months ago, on his last birthday, he had been feeling somewhat maudlin. It often happened to him around that time; it brought home all too clearly what he had lost, how little time he'd had with his parents. After the others had left that evening, he had sat with Jack sharing a few memories with him, a few regrets. He remembered telling him how he had managed to collect copies of all of the works his parents had published, except one. The first book they ever wrote together. It had been written after a particularly successful dig and they had been very proud when it was published. He had hunted everywhere for a copy but not many had been circulated and he had been unable to find one. He knew of two copies but they were both in museum libraries.

Now at Christmas time, he held a copy of it in his hands.

"How?" was all he could say, his voice little more than a whisper.

"I asked Carter to help me search for it. I told her how much it meant to you and she has been trying to track a copy down for months. Finally, about four weeks ago she managed to find a copy through academic circles."

"Was it? ...it must have been expensive. Jack, I feel I should..."

"No, you don't," Jack grinned. "It was more than worth it for the expression on your face. I wanted to make you happy ...I think I succeeded," Jack smiled.

"Oh, yeah. Jack, I don't know what to say."

"So don't say anything. Whaddya got me for Christmas?" He grinned like a small boy ...a naughty one.

"Nothing to compare with this," Daniel said as he carefully laid the book down and went to pull out his gifts for Jack.

That had been the beginning. Jack seemed determined to do everything he could to make sure Daniel enjoyed himself that day and every day since. He wanted to see him smile, make him laugh and know he was happy. And happy he was. Perhaps even happier than Jack realised for Daniel saw something in Jack's actions that either he did not even realise or didn't know he was signalling. Daniel believed that Jack's feelings for him were the cause of his actions. He cared for Daniel therefore he wanted him to be happy.

Besides the kind words and laughter, the gifts and the deeds, there were also the touches. True, Jack had always been tactile, had always managed to touch Daniel in the most simple, innocent ways but now he seemed unable to keep his hands off him. The slightest cause and he would touch; a hand on a shoulder, a bicep, his back, his lower back when Daniel wished his hand would slip lower but it never did. Or it would be an arm around his shoulders or his waist and it would take all Daniel's will power not to lean against the warm hard body of his friend.

And once, there were fingers, feather-light on his face, as his emotions overflowed when Jack presented him with the book on Christmas day. A treasured memory in every sense.

Daniel wanted to return the favour and give Jack the gift he deserved. Okay it would be a gift for him too, each giving the other what they needed most -- each other. They were already so close, they already knew they could lean on each other, they had trust, was it such a leap for them to be in love? Daniel believed not but he also knew he needed to push Jack to admit the truth to him and maybe even to himself.

Now, as he lay back, hands behind his head on the pillow, too wound up to sleep, he was thinking, trying to find the best way to broach the subject with Jack. One fear had faded, his friendship with Jack had never been stronger and he was sure that even if he were mistaken about Jack’s possible romantic feelings for him, he wouldn't lose that now. Jack might make one of his appallingly bad jokes but he could live with that! He could no longer live with not knowing; he had to take the chance.

Obviously they would have to be alone and the first thing he decided was that he couldn't wait until later, after the party, because the odds were that Jack would have had too much to drink and he couldn't be sure that someone wouldn't stay over for the night, drinking too much to be able to drive home. 

Daniel decided to give Jack a surprise and prepare breakfast. Daniel was never, well hardly ever, up first; Jack was an early riser and Daniel hated getting out of bed. If he could get Jack off balance it should make his confession easier - he hoped!

As Daniel was putting the finishing touches to the meal he heard Jack in the shower and swiftly moved into the dining room to finish setting the table. This would be another surprise for Jack; he always used the kitchen table for breakfast. 

Daniel was back in the kitchen when he heard Jack walk down the stairs and into the dining room. He also heard the sudden halt of his footsteps and the cessation of his off-key whistling.

"Daniel?" The surprise in his voice made the younger man smile.

"Yes?" he replied, leaning his head around the doorway from the kitchen.

"What's all this?"

"Why it's breakfast, aren't you hungry. I’ve fixed plenty of eggs and toast, with juice and coffee."

"Er, good but why aren't you in bed?"

"What?" Daniel asked, his eyes open wide in query and he was heartened when he saw a slight blush suffuse Jack's cheeks.

The older man coughed and turned away to admire the table. "Getting ready for a New Year's resolution. Gonna be getting up early?"

"No, enjoy it while you can, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Jack turned to look at him then, a slow smile graced his face as he raised his eyes up, slowly above Daniel's head and the younger man couldn't help but follow his glance. His eyes opened wide when he realised where he was standing. Smiling, he dropped his eyes from the mistletoe to meet Jack's glittering gaze.

Heart pounding, Daniel asked softly, "How much more of an invitation do you need?"

Jack seemed frozen to the spot as he stared at Daniel who just stood waiting, hoping. Hoping that he hadn't miscalculated, hoping that Jack wanted him as much as he wanted Jack. Hoping that his friend thought he was worth the risk he would be taking if he walked those few steps towards him....

Just when Daniel thought he had tossed the dice and lost, Jack moved forward, the first step slow, measured then he covered the remaining distance in one long stride and took Daniel into his arms. With a sigh Daniel melted into the embrace, murmuring Jack's name like a benediction.

Taking the offered opportunity, Jack swooped in and took Daniel's mouth in a tender yet passionate kiss, slipping his tongue inside the welcoming cavern of warmth waiting for him. Daniel tightened his arms around the man he loved and pulled him closer, feeling the sensations running through him, making him feel more alive than he could ever remember. It was bliss.

Breaking apart for much needed oxygen, they stared at each other.

"That wasn't just a once in a life time opportunity was it?" Jack breathed, eyes shining.

"No, that was the beginning of the rest of my life. A little sooner than I'd planned but ...Happy New Year, Jack!"

Smiling, Jack asked, "Do I get another gift then?"

"I think you've already had a lot of gifts this year."

"I guess." Jack's smile was quick but Daniel saw the wistful look in his eyes.

"But, this isn't just for Christmas is it?" Jack stared at him, waiting.

"You asked before why I wasn't in bed. Did you mean my bed or yours? ...Cause I’ve wanted to try out yours for some time now."

With a distinctly predatory smile, Jack grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly and said, "Come on then!"

 

FIN


End file.
